Alternatives to default models of teaching and learning
Few would seriously argue that students learn at the same pace and in the same way, at least not in any way other than a very general sense. Yet most would agree that our school systems are heavily biased toward standardization that assumes exactly that. Students are regularly placed with same-age peers in classes with pre-set curricula, which unfold at the same pace for everyone, regardless of prior knowledge and demonstrated learning along the way.
There are of course progressive educators that are willing to make the effort to demonstrate that there are other possibilities. I asked two colleagues that haven’t shied away from the work and patience it takes to to develop something new. Rob Barnett and his colleagues built their own classroom experiments into online training that has reached thousands. Jan Fasen and his colleagues changed the paradigm schoolwide in the Netherlands, growing from one experimental school to a network of many.
I asked them to give brief introductions in their own words. They would be happy for you to follow up with them for more information.
Meeting Every Learner’s Needs
I know that it’s possible to create real, meaningful change in students’ and teachers’ experiences. I know this from my own experience as a math teacher.
Ten years ago, I was a teacher struggling to meet the diverse needs of my students. Some of them already knew the course content, so as I explained it they were bored. Other students had significant learning gaps, so they were lost. I was frustrated. I decided to change the way I taught.
Rather than explaining new math content live, from the front of my classroom, I explained the content in short videos that my students could watch anytime, anywhere. Rather than pushing students through my content at my pace, regardless of their understanding, I gave students the time they actually needed to understand each of my lessons – no more and no less. And rather than letting students advance to more complex content before they were ready, I required that every learner achieve mastery before moving on. Then, I spent my time in class working one-on-one and with small groups of students, providing the support each individual learner needed.
I made all of these changes in my own classroom, using the resources I already had. And while they took time to implement effectively, they paid off. I loved teaching this way! It’s not a stretch to say this method saved my career. It also attracted the interest of others. My colleague, Kareem Farah, and I launched the Modern Classrooms Project to share the method with the world, and as of today we have empowered over 75,000 educators in more than 150 countries. These teachers are creating classrooms that meet every learner’s needs.
The best part? You can join this movement, too. All you have to do to get started is redesign a single lesson.
Robert Barnett, Washington D.C.
Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer, Modern Classrooms Project
Book: Meet Every Learner’s Needs
Inclusive, Self-Directed Education … Schoolwide
The Agora education concept originated in 2014 at the Niekée secondary school in Roermond, Netherlands, with 30 students. Agora is now present in 30 schools in the Netherlands and continues to grow in popularity.
Agora offers an alternative to traditional education by giving students a high degree of control over their learning process. Their learning level or age does not matter. All students are treated individually, because we believe that only then will each student get a fair chance. At Agora, students develop together with and thanks to each other. The starting point for each student is “How can my individuality and personal development be of value to others?” The teacher then helps each student develop their response to this central question.
Agora builds on the natural curiosity of students. Their attention is drawn to many events
around them. A particular event sticks and grabs hold. It fascinates them, they want to know
more about it, they want to know everything about it. They then investigate that which has caught their attention. The curriculum, in other words, is not set in advance. The students create it according to their interests. Agora structures their individual investigations around five worlds: the scientific, social, ethical, artistic, and spiritual. These five perspectives offer students multiple lenses through which to explore and investigate their interests.
There is a lot of student agency at Agora, but that doesn’t mean that teachers don’t play an important role. Besides striving to know exactly what is needed to inspire students toward knowledge development and personal growth, Agora teachers guide students in their development into conscientious, engaged citizens. The team of teachers is independent and strong enough to create a learning environment where every student has the space to thrive and can optimally prepare for a meaningful future.
Parents are also important at Agora. We acknowledge that they know their child best. Teachers and students cannot do without the role of the parents. When parents enroll their child, they also endorse an agreement that they have a role at Agora. For example, every parent organizes at least two inspiration sessions per year at Agora, where they share their own work or
hobbies.
As progressive as Agora is, ultimately, every student takes final exams at Agora just like in all public schools across the Netherlands; Agora students are not free from national Dutch requirements. Successful completion of the final exams grants them an admission certificate that allows them to continue their personal development at a vocational college, university of applied sciences, or university. Despite, or perhaps because of, its student-before-curriculum philosophy, in the 2023-2024 school year Agora schools achieved an average pass rate of 92%, comparable to the national percentage of all Dutch schools at 91.5%.
Jan Fasen, Netherlands
Founder, Agora Education
Article: Would you send your children to a school with no rules?